Vox Populi
by StarShinobi
Summary: Maria gave me a nod and I knew it was time. Time to gather the soldiers. Time to go to war.


HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

Thought I would start out the year with a new one shot, start the year out on the right foot. As with the majority of my stories, this one was inspired by a song. This is my first Jasper fic, so I hope I do him justice. Please leave a review to let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga, any of its characters, or the song _Vox Populi_ by 30 Seconds to Mars.

Warnings: Violence and anguish ahead. But always remember, where there is despair, there is also hope.

* * *

"This is a call to arms  
Gather soldiers!  
Time to go to war!  
This is a battle call,  
Brothers and Sisters!  
Time to go to war!"

-_Vox Populi_ by 30 Seconds to Mars

* * *

We both heard it; the rolling of thunder in the distance. Maria looked at me, not saying a word, and nodded her head. Nothing more needed to be said. The plans had been made days before and it was crystal clear what needed to be done.

It was time to gather the newborn soldiers.

It was time to go to war.

We had received a tip from a passerby that the army she had escaped from, the Arevez Coven, was building numbers and planning to attack at the next thunderstorm. They intended to wipe out Maria and her unbeatable army with an ambush, taking her large expansion of land and becoming the most powerful coven in the south. We were both confused as to why they would attempt such a thing. Arevez was known to be strong, if not our closest contender, but we were still vastly stronger than them. Why would they do something so rash and foolish?

Nonetheless, the time had come to defend our territory. I donned my shirt and boots, not even sparing a glance at my creator as I left our secluded area. I moved toward the area where our newborns congregated and found Peter, the only other vampire in the army besides Maria and myself that had passed the year mark and lived.

"Peter," I said gruffly, a tone of voice I hardly ever used with him.

"Yeah, Jasper?" he asked back, smiling.

"Gather the solders."

His usually carefree demeanor instantly vanished, the soldier I had trained him to be coming into the forefront, already preparing him for what we both knew was coming. "Yes, Major. Right away, sir."

Peter quickly collected the army of twenty vampires in a clearing just outside the field we would meet our enemy, though we would still be concealed by a line of trees. I was looking out over the field when I felt a overbearing excitement hit me. I had to push down the smile it forced on my face before turning around to face the emotion's owner, a 16 year old boy named Joshua.

He had been part of another army and ran away from his creator when he hit his 3 month mark after hearing the tales of Maria's army and 'The Major'. "Is it really time, Major?" he asked practically bouncing on his toes. The boy had been chomping at the bit to fight with us since he joined us a month ago. It almost saddened me knowing the danger he was about to be thrown into.

"It's time," I said sternly, gaining an ecstatic smile from the young man before he returned to the ranks. I steeled myself for the task I was about to perform; getting newborns ready for battle. The newborns watched me in anticipation, waiting for me to speak, to give the orders. I allowed the silence to settle for a moment before beginning.

"This is a call," I said, my hands behind my straightened spine, looking out over the field that would be out battleground. I began the process, feeling out the emotions of the newborns under my and Maria's command. Finding the ones who were wavering before battle. I had to concentrate on those individuals for they would be our weakness. I found more wavering than I had hoped to, but that is what happens when the majority of the army is going into their first battle. I had a plan and I began to put it into action. "This is a call to stand, not for me and not even for Maria." I could feel confusion exuding from them. Good.

"Yes, we are about to fight for Maria's territory, but more importantly, when you walk out onto that battlefield tonight, you are stepping out to fight for yourself."

I had to be precise when dealing with the emotions of newborns, something I had learned decades ago. Too subtle and the emotions didn't register. Too strong and the emotions feel foreign, allowing them to understand the feelings were not their own. Only Maria knew of my ability, although I had a feeling that Peter knew as well. I had learned long ago that newborns became angry when they comprehended they were being manipulated and no longer trusted enough to continue to serve in this army. So at these words, I gave a subtle push of confusion, shock, and pride; a combination I had found to be quite effective when executed correctly.

"Tonight you fight for your home and stand up to defend your right to live." A little excitement to get their dead hearts going and their feet a little antsy. "For your right to feed." I never had to manipulate the pang of panic at this. Newborns were always concerned that what they wanted most would be taken from them. "Tonight you fight to protect the family we have created here." A little love, a little possessiveness, a hint of fear.

"Tonight, we fight to show we are not a force to be taken lightly. If you choose to threaten our land, our army, our family with force, we will show you what we are made of," I began to raise my voice, giving a push of excitement, "and make you regret ever thinking you could take us down." By the end I was yelling gruffly as I gave a large push of loyalty to finally pull them all together. Some of the newborns were shifting on their feet, itching to run out onto the field, ready to destroy the ones who wanted to destroy our 'family'.

"So tonight do you want to surrender to death or fight for victory?" I said quietly as I watched the opposing army emerged quietly from the opposite tree line and begin to creep across the field, not knowing we were expecting them. I had felt them coming a mile away. "Brothers, sisters," I said, allowing a bit of affection to enter my voice," will you stand with me?" I pushed anxiousness, excitement, determination and pride at all of my soldiers, feeling no fear or reservation in return. My words were met with confident growls.

They were ready.

I faced them, my features reflecting every bit of the Major that I was. "Let's go to war."

With one last push of excitement, Joshua let out a battle cry and leaped toward the field quickly followed by the others. I had no doubt that we owned this night, our army was far superior. Arevez had tried to outnumber us two to one, which meant they would be untrained. Newborns in that quantity could not be controlled, even with my abilities. That would take a mind reader or maybe even a torturer.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and knew who it was before she even spoke. The strange love I felt from her gave her away more than the light touch of her fingers ever could. "You come back to me, Major. I need you."

I always had a weird feeling that she didn't mean she needed _me_ to come back. It felt like she needed my _ability_ to come back. I pushed the though away as I nodded. Maria loved me. I could feel that strange love. It wasn't like mine, but I always remembered what my human mother always said, no two people feel love exactly the same. Even though I hadn't believed her then, believed that I would find someone who did love me the same as I loved them, maybe she really was right. Maria's lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss pulled me from my thoughts. "Go, my Major."

With that, I took off, fully intent on throwing myself into the center of the battle. As I ran, I took the few seconds I had before arriving at my destination to focus myself. I had to keep out the emotions of battle for as long as I could, but I knew they would break through. They always did.

I focused on the strategy to use in this field. I had found here many times before, defending our territory from those stupid enough to try and take it. But more importantly, it was where I fought my first vampire battle, where I had earned both my place as Maria's second in command and the name "The Major". Only Peter and Maria called me anything different. Most of the newborns didn't even know my real name. Even my enemies called me by this.

As I passed by my first opponent, I disposed of him before he even noticed I was there. I was fine with that; no emotional backlash. However, his comrade was nearby and the fear that spiked from him instantly broke through my defensive walls as if I had never even put them up. "He's here!" he screamed like a frightened child. "The Major is here!"

So that's why they attacked. They had no expected me to be here. They must have thought I would be out scouting new recruits for Maria to turn. His fear was increasing with every passing fraction of a second. I had to stop it before I was incapacitated. With lightning speed I removed his head from his body, feeling a familiar emptiness that always appeared after destroying an emotional opponent. Sometimes, that sudden void was worse than the fear.

The void did not last long however. News of my arrival to the fight spread quicker than wildfire with calls of "The Major?" and "He's not supposed to be here!" increasing the aura of fear in the battlefield to greater heights than I had ever felt. Despair quickly followed causing me to remember the friends and comrades I had lost in this very field. I knew I had to find control. I desperately searched through the emotional signatures of Maria's newborns, looking for an emotion strong enough to overcome the despair and fear. I found excitement, more fear, sadness, protectiveness, pain, confidence, and loyalty; but none of them were strong enough. Then I found it.

Rage.

It was a rage only a newborn could feel mixed with a sense of loss. One of our soldiers must be down. I will have to tell Maria she will need to create another. Nonetheless, the emotion was the only one available to drown out the overbearing aura, so I embraced it. I felt my body tingle and my nonexistent blood boil. Venom pooled in my mouth and my muscled tensed as I saw red.

And for the first time that did not involve feeding, I wanted to destroy everything that stood in my way. I made sure not to let the emotion totally overtake me to the point of a rampage. I had to focus on destroying only the enemy and not blindly attacking anything that moved. I saw and unfamiliar face, definitely not one of my newborns, and attacked, ripping the woman apart until only pieces of her remained. Her emotions were only a blip on my radar before she disappeared.

I could feel the rage dissipating from me after three more newborns had been disposed of, but I no longer needed it. The army had done their job and the opposing numbers and their fear were lessening every minute. I began my search for their general, hoping to end this and save some lives. It didn't take me long to find him; Thomas Arevez, another well known fighter. Our eyes met and after a moment of shock, he launched himself at me. He was a skilled soldier, but we both knew how this would end. The reason our general didn't join any of our battles was because of me, she wasn't needed. Arevez was not that lucky. I finished him with a tackle and a twist, ultimately sealing our victory.

One by one his remaining newborns noticed his defeat. Many continued to fight, losing their lives, while two turned and fled. "Major," said Joshua intently watching where the pair ran, itching to pursue but knowing to await the order. "Do we finish them?"

I focused on the escaping pair, a male and a female. Fear, love, and relief radiated from them. Mates who had found each other among war and chaos; mates who had finally found an opportunity to be free. Each holding a love stronger than I had for Maria, yet totally different than the love she had for me. They would soon be destroyed or forced to join another army, there was no other way, but maybe they could be together without the threat of death for just a little while. "No," I said sternly. I felt the confusion rolling off of him as his confidence in me faltered. He thought I was soft, that the stories of my efficiency were false and that I just didn't want to wipe out an army.

I could still feel the residual rage and fear from the battle residing in my heart and making my emotional walls brittle, causing me to be frustrated with the boy. Even if he was right, I had to keep his respect and fear of crossing me in tact. After all, I still needed him to follow orders without question. "Let them tell the other armies of this battle; that Maria's coven was ambushed by an army twice its size and reduced them to ash. Let them spread the message that we will not be intimidated or defeated by anyone foolish enough to test us."

_Let them live their lives freely for a while. Let them believe if only for a moment that they are not doomed to end their days fighting for something they don't even understand,_ I mentally added.

His confusion disappeared, replaced by respect, but I could still feel the effects of the residual emotions. How dare he even question me and my decisions?! I knew I had to separate myself from him before I let the frustration turn into anger and I did something I would regret. Thunder cracked again, the storm getting closer. I decided to both get him away from me and secure his loyalty at the same time. It had to be done quickly anyway.

I removed the lighter Maria got for me from my pocket, the one I always used to clean up, and tossed it Joshua. I gave him a stern look and pushed a little fear and admiration at him. "Start the fires, soldier."

He knew what getting to finish the job meant. This was usually an action reserved for the general or their second in command, showing their control of not only their own army, but the fate of another's. It was a rare honor for this to be given to another. "Of course," he stammered. "Right away, sir."

I counted my soldiers as they piled bodies and the smoke began to rise into the sky. Only three missing. We _were_ superior, but I was still surprised to have lost so few. I did, however, note that Josephine was missing an arm and Lucas part of his shoulder. Sorrow filled me as I realized that they were my two soldiers that were approaching their year mark. Maria would likely have me cull them tomorrow.

The smoke slowly began to disappear and the smell I came to associate with victory dissolving with it. A different smell, that of fresh rain, hit me as I heard the drops begin to collide with the ground in the distance, quickly approaching. We always had battles before a storm. The thunder concealed the noise of our collisions and the clouds camouflaged the smoke as we removed all indications of what had happened there. I was also thankful because that meant there would always be rain after we were finished. The thought made me raise my face toward the sky; waiting, as I always did.

"Major, what are you doing?" asked our newest newborn. Charlotte I believe her name is; the one Peter was so fond of.

"Charlotte, leave him be," came Peter's voice. "It's just part of the ritual."

I was grateful when the pair walked away, especially the female. Newborns always took their first battle the hardest. Killing a human for food was one thing, killing another vampire and not really knowing what you got out of it was another. I continued standing with my face toward the sky and soon enough the clouds opened up with a crack of thunder. Rain began to fall; to wash it all away.

No blood had fallen during the battle, so instead the rain washed away the piles of ash that stood sporadically in the once peaceful field. With my face toward the sky, I allowed the rain to do the same to me. I could feel it cascading down my face in mock tears, washing away the remains of the battle. Fear, loathing, pain, anguish, courage, despair, rage, guilt, viciousness, and loss all melted away in the rain as I grasped for feeling to push them out. I embraced Maria's excitement, Joshua's pride and sense of honor, even Peter's relief and love for Charlotte.

I opened my eyes, my process complete and my heart lighter. I had to center myself to bring me back from the pit of despair, because even though we had made it through today, the whole process would start again tomorrow. Seventy years of newborn battles had taught me that I had to throw myself into these moments after the battle, the happiness and excitement. If I didn't, I would lose myself completely and fall over the cliff.

Even after the processes, I could feel that I was less, not the person I was before the battle. It was the same every time. I knew it was killing me, to feel death over and over, but this was life. There was no other way.

I opened my mind to the excitement once more, to try and keep my spirits up for just a little longer tonight. For tomorrow, the torture began anew with the culling of Josephine and Lucas before we began prepping for another battle and another round of death and centering.

And I don't know how much longer I can remain here without loosing myself completely.

* * *

"Here we are at the start."

-_Vox Populi_ by 30 Seconds to Mars

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So a bit dark but Happy New Year everyone! Hope you enjoyed and are as happy as I am to know that just a few short years later, he proved his mother wrong and found someone who loved him EXACTLY the same as he loved her.

Anyway, please leave a review and thank you for reading!


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